From his spot on the second floor of the burned-out building, Jack could finally watch. He could finally plan. These past few days had been filled with too much spontaneity for his liking. He had escaped a jail by climbing out a window (and had injured his leg in the process). He had helped a pirate crew hurriedly row their vessel out to sea while under fire from Waltzer soldiers. Hell, he had even agreed to join an all-out assault on Crawley central. It was all too action-packed for his liking. Jack's talents lied in the realm of planning. Subtlety. Deceit. This....this was all too much. The fighting, the shooting, all spontaneous, all because he was moving at someone else's speed.
But now, Jack finally had a chance to slow it down a bit, actually case a target. He had snuck back into downtown with Ponch, the Sniper, and Jocelyn. Parker had stayed back on the boat, receiving piloting lessons from the Sullys. Probably drinking, too. Jealous.... They were waiting on the second floor of a building across the street from Crawley HQ for an invasion force of pirates to arrive. Once they did, the plan was to make their way into the tower and knock some heads. Jack hoped it could be done with some modicum of stealth, but past experience suggested otherwise. Still, he set about casing the tower just as he would any other target, only this time the objective wasn't some jugs of water or pre-End artifact, it was blood. Plain and simple.
Two entrances visible. Front door: heavily guarded, well-lit, steel. Likely locked. No thank you. Side door: up on the skywalk from the building next door. I don't see any guards over there. Pretty dark Probably also locked, but at least I'd have some peace and quiet to pick it.
Guards: 15 or 20. Seems a lot, but they did just start a war with the pirates. Maybe they're expecting us. Most have rifles or pistols. Golly gee. I may actually have to use this pea-shooter the Sullys gave me after all.
Overhead, the full moon shone brightly, as if some giant guard was shining a flashlight down on the ruined city to spot out the troublemakers; a group Jack wholeheartedly counted himself amongst. The gigantic Crawley tower stood gleaming in the moonlight, an oppressive testament to the greed of wicked men. The smell wasn't so bad up here on the second floor, though Jack still caught a whiff of decay here and there. His mouth tasted sour, the aftertaste of tonight's dinner dancing across his tongue. Jack was aware of the sound of his own breathing, deep and meditative as it usually was when he was preparing for a job. He heard the sound of boots crunching on shards of glass from the street below, and a quick glance revealed a patrol of several blue-clad Waltzers. Jack doubted they would be on their guard this close to the biggest stronghold in the city. An attack here would be...crazy. Suicidal. Jack grinned to himself as he became aware of the irony. The thought washed across his weary mind like a wave from Lake Michigan encroaching on the beach. We tried so hard to get away from these motherfuckers, and now we're back? On their fuckin' doorstep, no less. I could die here. I'm putting myself directly into harm's way, and why? For what? Then, like the wave, the thought receded from his mind as he became aware of eyes on him. The sniper was staring at him, wordlessly commanding him to move away from the window, where he had been awkwardly standing and ruminating on the idiocy of it all.
Fuckin' smooth, Jackie.
Jack skulked away from the window and took a spot against the wall, sliding down until he was seated on the dusty floor. Across from him, Jocelyn stood staring toward her feet, an impatient look on her face. Jack could tell she was eager to get this whole ordeal over with, though he suspected it was for different reasons than he. She seemed to thrive on violence; that much had been made clear to him numerous times since they had first broken out of the jail. She was a difficult person for Jack to get a handle on, a fact that had bothered him all along. She had transitioned seamlessly from threatening his life to ably patching up his busted leg a few days back. Of course, she had then immediately punched a Waltzer with the force of a sledgehammer, lest he think she was some sort of gentle soul. He liked her, that much he knew. She wasn't his type romantically; women who threatened to punch him in his face usually weren't. And for as good as she was in a fight, she sure was dumb. But Jack couldn't help but think that their skills complemented each other well. Who knows, we make it out of this pirate bullshit alive, maybe I'll teach her to sneak a little better. Would be nice to have someone watching my back on jobs.
A shout from outside startled Jack, and he jumped up from his seat, his right hand groping for the revolver stashed in the back of his waistband. From the window, the Sniper motioned for him to stay low and come up beside her. Jack complied, and was instantly excited by what he saw when he looked down to the plaza outside the Crawley tower. About a dozen of the guard had formed up near the front door, and several of them were carrying something out....a crate. The blue shirts were on high alert, scanning the area and taking great care not to leave the crate unprotected.
Hot. Buttered. Damn. I don't know what's in there, but I know it'd be the score of a lifetime. I need that crate. I will have that crate.
But now, Jack finally had a chance to slow it down a bit, actually case a target. He had snuck back into downtown with Ponch, the Sniper, and Jocelyn. Parker had stayed back on the boat, receiving piloting lessons from the Sullys. Probably drinking, too. Jealous.... They were waiting on the second floor of a building across the street from Crawley HQ for an invasion force of pirates to arrive. Once they did, the plan was to make their way into the tower and knock some heads. Jack hoped it could be done with some modicum of stealth, but past experience suggested otherwise. Still, he set about casing the tower just as he would any other target, only this time the objective wasn't some jugs of water or pre-End artifact, it was blood. Plain and simple.
Two entrances visible. Front door: heavily guarded, well-lit, steel. Likely locked. No thank you. Side door: up on the skywalk from the building next door. I don't see any guards over there. Pretty dark Probably also locked, but at least I'd have some peace and quiet to pick it.
Guards: 15 or 20. Seems a lot, but they did just start a war with the pirates. Maybe they're expecting us. Most have rifles or pistols. Golly gee. I may actually have to use this pea-shooter the Sullys gave me after all.
Overhead, the full moon shone brightly, as if some giant guard was shining a flashlight down on the ruined city to spot out the troublemakers; a group Jack wholeheartedly counted himself amongst. The gigantic Crawley tower stood gleaming in the moonlight, an oppressive testament to the greed of wicked men. The smell wasn't so bad up here on the second floor, though Jack still caught a whiff of decay here and there. His mouth tasted sour, the aftertaste of tonight's dinner dancing across his tongue. Jack was aware of the sound of his own breathing, deep and meditative as it usually was when he was preparing for a job. He heard the sound of boots crunching on shards of glass from the street below, and a quick glance revealed a patrol of several blue-clad Waltzers. Jack doubted they would be on their guard this close to the biggest stronghold in the city. An attack here would be...crazy. Suicidal. Jack grinned to himself as he became aware of the irony. The thought washed across his weary mind like a wave from Lake Michigan encroaching on the beach. We tried so hard to get away from these motherfuckers, and now we're back? On their fuckin' doorstep, no less. I could die here. I'm putting myself directly into harm's way, and why? For what? Then, like the wave, the thought receded from his mind as he became aware of eyes on him. The sniper was staring at him, wordlessly commanding him to move away from the window, where he had been awkwardly standing and ruminating on the idiocy of it all.
Fuckin' smooth, Jackie.
Jack skulked away from the window and took a spot against the wall, sliding down until he was seated on the dusty floor. Across from him, Jocelyn stood staring toward her feet, an impatient look on her face. Jack could tell she was eager to get this whole ordeal over with, though he suspected it was for different reasons than he. She seemed to thrive on violence; that much had been made clear to him numerous times since they had first broken out of the jail. She was a difficult person for Jack to get a handle on, a fact that had bothered him all along. She had transitioned seamlessly from threatening his life to ably patching up his busted leg a few days back. Of course, she had then immediately punched a Waltzer with the force of a sledgehammer, lest he think she was some sort of gentle soul. He liked her, that much he knew. She wasn't his type romantically; women who threatened to punch him in his face usually weren't. And for as good as she was in a fight, she sure was dumb. But Jack couldn't help but think that their skills complemented each other well. Who knows, we make it out of this pirate bullshit alive, maybe I'll teach her to sneak a little better. Would be nice to have someone watching my back on jobs.
A shout from outside startled Jack, and he jumped up from his seat, his right hand groping for the revolver stashed in the back of his waistband. From the window, the Sniper motioned for him to stay low and come up beside her. Jack complied, and was instantly excited by what he saw when he looked down to the plaza outside the Crawley tower. About a dozen of the guard had formed up near the front door, and several of them were carrying something out....a crate. The blue shirts were on high alert, scanning the area and taking great care not to leave the crate unprotected.
Hot. Buttered. Damn. I don't know what's in there, but I know it'd be the score of a lifetime. I need that crate. I will have that crate.